INDIANAPOLIS
Three Johnson County athletes played their final snaps of high school football Friday night at North Central.
Together, they nearly helped the South All-Stars end a losing streak.
Whether it was former Whiteland guard Garrett Curtis carving run lanes, Tyler Watson shadowing receivers or Nick Young shedding a block to make a tackle, all three saw plenty of action at the annual North/South All-Star Game.
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The North won, 27-24, for its fourth consecutive victory in the series. The South All-Stars still lead the overall series, 27-25.
Leo kicker Ben VonGunten drilled a 38-yard field goal with 5:59 remaining to provide the winning points for the North All-Stars. The kick was set up when a North punt glanced off the leg of a South player and was recovered with 7:38 to go.
The South All-Stars started the ensuing possession at their own 5 with only 30.2 seconds left and still had a chance to force overtime, but Ben Norton’s 44-yard field goal attempt was tipped by the interior of the North defensive line.
North running back Christian Covington of Fort Wayne Snider was named the game’s most valuable player.
Greenwood coach Mike Campbell, a South All-Star assistant who worked all week with Curtis as offensive line coach, appreciates what all three players brought to this year’s team.
“All three of the Johnson County kids, the thing that stands out are the programs they come from. They’ve been a fun group to be around, and it’s a credit to what they did at their schools and how they represented their programs,” Campbell said.
“It’s neat to talk to those guys about local things you might not be able to do with a kid from Evansville or something like that.”
Also playing in Friday’s game were two Franklin College recruits — Pioneer defensive end Jayson Mersch and Greencastle defensive lineman Cade Winslow.
